Textbooks, charter schools, firearms among issues

MARCIA LANE

Sunday

Mar 23, 2014 at 11:51 PM

Other topics on educators' radar include:

Charter schools

One bill would put in place a state contract for charter schools rather than letting school districts handle them. While districts and charter companies would still talk, local school boards would lose much of their clout in getting charters to act on their concerns.

Local education officials across the board see it as a bad idea and one that will remove local control.

Textbooks

A bill would transfer responsibility for choosing textbooks from the state level to the district level. This, say local officials, will be a huge cost requiring additional manpower. Currently the state comes up with a list of approved textbooks, including several choices for each subject. Districts make their choice from those.

"It's a duplication of expense for every school district," said St. Johns County School Board District 1 Member Bev Slough. "Every school district would have to set up to make choices and recommendations. It's time consuming to do that whereas if the state does the first level of work and then sends that out it will still allow local choice."

Wood said there is concern this could be an "unfunded mandate."

"It's going to be especially hard on the smaller districts like Madison and Putnam. How are they going to assemble (the manpower) quickly?" Wood said, pointing out more than 900 courses are available and districts would have to choose material for each.

Educational technology

Passed during a previous session, the technology requirement has districts looking for ways to fund the mandate that goes into effect in 2015. Among other requirements, districts must shift to electronic textbooks and provide a means of delivery.

"People are antsy about the funding," Slough said. "(St. Johns County) doesn't have all the capacity we need and we are far ahead of most districts."

This year's budgets have the House committing $81 million and the Senate $40 million. St. Johns County has estimated it will cost their district alone at least $40 million to provide everything from textbooks to bandwidth to IT expertise to electronic devices.

School protection

A bill allowing military veterans and ex-law enforcement who work in schools to carry guns if they receive additional training and have authorization from school leaders is moving through the Senate. The bill has received lots of press and support is mixed.

"We're watching the firearms in schools bill with a lot of concern," Wood said. While parents are concerned about children's safety, this bill has raised alarms, she said, noting firearms training is a perishable skill, one that many veterans and ex-law enforcement may not have kept in use. In addition, she questioned the adequacy of training.

It would be better to have more trained, uniformed personnel such as youth resource officers in place, she said.

Groups including the state sheriffs' association and state school board association also have questioned the use of teachers and staff. St. Johns County School Superintendent Joe Joyner expects the item to come up when school superintendents meet this week in Tallahassee.

"For me if the Legislature wants to put trained law enforcement officers on school campuses they have the ability to do that. They just have to fund it … ," Joyner said. He said he had a "great comfort level" with the amount of training current youth resource officers from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office receive as well as "they know how to deal with kids."

Pension program

Legislators are again looking at changes to the Florida Retirement System. That's an issue that state employees including teachers, firefighters, etc. are tired of arguing but won't give up on.

"We're 87 percent funded so there's no reason we need pension reform," said SJEA's Chapman. One proposal would mean new employees wouldn't pay into the pension plan and that could cause eventual funding problems for FRS.

Accountability

One bill basically asks for a delay in the new school grades and accountability system for three to five years. That would give time for teachers to be properly trained in the new standards and make sure the new state assessment system works, argue proponents.

The recently chosen system hasn't been vetted in Florida, but Utah has a pilot program.

There is talk legislators might be open to a one-year delay.

Joyner said it does appear legislators are taking into account this is a transition year. He noted there is a push to simplify the grading formula under way.

"With a new state test coming on board, it is in a sense a transition year. It makes sense to me to withhold any consequences …," Joyner said.

Some bills have already faded away. They include one that would have meant no high school could begin sessions before 8 a.m. The sponsor withdrew the bill.

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